Pernety, Anthony Joseph

, was born Feb. 15, 1716, at Roanne, in Forez. He entered into the order of Benedictines, and devoted himself to study, and the composition of numerous works, some of which are correct and useful, and others deformed by absurd hypotheses, and that affectation of novelty which gained many French writers in his day the title of philosophers. These whims are principally found in his “Fables Egyptiennes et Greques devoilees,” 1786, 2 vols. 8vo, and in his “Dictionnairer mythohermetique.” His more useful publications were, his “Dictionnaire de Peinture, Sculpture, et Gravure,” 1757; “Discours sur la Physionomie;” “Journal Historique d’un Voyage faite aux iles Malouines, en 1763 et 1764,” 1769, 2 vols. 8vo. This account of a voyage made by himself was translated into English, and read with some interest at the time of the dispute with Spain, relative to these islands, which are the same with the Falkland islands. “Dissertation sur TAmerique et les Americains:” in this work and in his “Examen des Recherches Philosophiques de Pauvv sur les Americains,” he controverts the opinions of Pauw. He was author of many other works, and communicated several memoirs to the academy of Berlin, of which he was a member, and in which capital he resided a long time as librarian to Frederic II. He at length returned to Valence, in the department of La Drome, where he died about the close of the century. ²